PETER KORMOS, MPP
Niagara Centre
Queens Park Office
Room 211, North Wing
Legislative Building
Toronto, ON M7A 1A5
(416) 325-7106
fax: (416) 325-7067
OPEN LETTER
February 11, 2003
Hon. Brenda Elliott
Minister of Community, Family and Children’s Services
6th Fl, Hepburn Block
80 Grosvenor St.
Toronto, ON M7A 1E9
Dear Minister,
I am informed that Kennedy House, a detention and rehabilitation facility for young offenders in Uxbridge, is permanently closing. In fact, Kennedy House has not functioned as such since July 2001 although your Ministry has continued to fully fund it. A long and acrimonious strike ended in June 2002 but, despite a
huge and obvious need, no young offenders were moved back to this facility. We are told that deficiencies in this private sector operation are the reason. What are these deficiencies? Your Ministry refuses to provide my office and the union representing the workers there with the Operational Review that identifies areas of concern. What information are you
hiding and why are you hiding it? Minister, why have you wasted the taxpayers’ money for these many months, paying your private sector partner to administer a vacant facility, especially now that you are not even reopening it?
Your government -- with its passion for privatization – has abandoned its responsibility for the operation and maintenance of young offender facilities across this province. In 1998 the Ministry began the process of handing over the treatment and rehabilitation of the province’s young offenders to the private
sector. Your government talks tough on law and order but the privatization and closure of Camp Turnaround and Kennedy House makes a mockery of your “tough on crime agenda.” Minister, actions speak louder than words and yours are hurting kids and hurting our communities.
Set aside your blind commitment to the ideology of privatization. The province of Ontario owns Kennedy House and the property it stands on. This time really save the taxpayers money and really get serious about crime, put this facility back where it belongs - in public sector hands and run properly as a public
institution.
Sincerely,
Peter Kormos, MPP
Niagara Centre
Cc: Hon Bob Runciman
